Things can change quickly in cricket. Just as England thought a reset had occurred with the win at Lord’s, only for a late night in Chelsea and defeat at the Oval to put paid to that notion, so the nature of the pitch lurched significantly on a gripping third day here.
Gone was the road on which the ball repeatedly raced across the parched outfield during the first two days and in its place – influenced by a slight drop in temperature and cloud cover – was a more capricious strip of earth. It offered lateral movement and inconsistent bounce, and led to 11 wickets falling.
